Project description:The development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is influenced by several events, among which the dysregulation of cholesterol metabolism in the brain plays a major role. Maintenance of brain cholesterol homeostasis is essential for neuronal functioning and brain development. To maintain the steady-state level, excess brain cholesterol is converted into the more hydrophilic metabolite 24-S-hydroxycholesterol (24-OHC), also called cerebrosterol, by the neuron-specific enzyme CYP46A1. A growing bulk of evidence suggests that cholesterol oxidation products, named oxysterols, are the link connecting altered cholesterol metabolism to AD. It has been shown that the levels of some oxysterols, including 27-hydroxycholesterol, 7β-hydroxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, significantly increase in AD brains contributing to disease progression. In contrast, 24-OHC levels decrease, likely due to neuronal loss. Among the different brain oxysterols, 24-OHC is certainly the one whose role is most controversial. It is the dominant oxysterol in the brain and evidence shows that it represents a signaling molecule of great importance for brain function. However, numerous studies highlighted the potential role of 24-OHC in favoring AD development, since it promotes neuroinflammation, amyloid β (Aβ) peptide production, oxidative stress and cell death. In parallel, 24-OHC has been shown to exert several beneficial effects against AD progression, such as preventing tau hyperphosphorylation and Aβ production. In this review we focus on the current knowledge of the controversial role of 24-OHC in AD pathogenesis, reporting a detailed overview of the findings about its levels in different AD biological samples and its noxious or neuroprotective effects in the brain. Given the relevant role of 24-OHC in AD pathophysiology, its targeting could be useful for disease prevention or slowing down its progression.
Project description:The hypothesis that infectious agents, particularly herpesviruses, contribute to Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis has been investigated for decades but has long engendered controversy. In the past 3 years, several studies in mouse models, human tissue models, and population cohorts have reignited interest in this hypothesis. Collectively, these studies suggest that many of the hallmarks of AD, like amyloid beta production and neuroinflammation, can arise as a protective response to acute infection that becomes maladaptive in the case of chronic infection. We place this work in its historical context and explore its etiological implications.
Project description:Irisin, a PGC1α-dependent myokine, was once believed to have beneficial effects induced by exercise. Since its first discovery of adipose browning in 2012, multiple studies have been trying to explore the metabolic functions of irisin, such as glucose and lipid metabolism. However, recently many studies with irisin concentration measuring were doubt for methodological problems, which may account for the continuous inconsistencies. New tools like recombinant irisin and gene-knockout mice are required to reconfirm the questioned functions of irisin. In this paper, we make a critical introduction to the latest researches concerning the relationship between irisin and coronary heart disease, which includes atherosclerosis, stable angina pectoris and acute coronary syndromes. These studies provided various controversial evidence of short and long-term monitoring and therapeutic effect from molecular cellular mechanisms, in vivo experiments and epidemiological investigation. But with ambiguities, irisin still has a long way to go to identify its functions in the clinical management.
Project description:Human herpesviruses (HHVs) have been implicated as possible risk factors in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Persistent lifelong HHVs infections may directly or indirectly contribute to the generation of AD hallmarks: amyloid beta (Aβ) plaques, neurofibrillary tangles composed of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins, and synaptic loss. The present review focuses on summarizing current knowledge on the molecular mechanistic links between HHVs and AD that include processes involved in Aβ accumulation, tau protein hyperphosphorylation, autophagy, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation. A PubMed search was performed to collect all the available research data regarding the above mentioned mechanistic links between HHVs and AD pathology. The vast majority of research articles referred to the different pathways exploited by Herpes Simplex Virus 1 that could lead to AD pathology, while a few studies highlighted the emerging role of HHV 6, cytomegalovirus, and Epstein-Barr Virus. The elucidation of such potential links may guide the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics to counter this devastating neurological disorder that until now remains incurable.
Project description:TNF has been associated with both inhibition and promotion of tumor growth. We recently described a mechanism by which tumor cells attract TNF producing cells via expression of MHC class II molecules.
Project description:FK506 binding protein 51kDa (FKBP51/FKBP5) is part of a mature heat shock protein 90kDa (Hsp90) chaperone complex that preserves tau. Microarray analysis of human brains reveal that FKBP51 gene expression selectively increased with age and Alzheimer's disease, which correlated with demethylation of the regulatory regions in the FKBP5 gene. Moreover, FKBP51 levels significantly correlated with Braak pathological staging. In addition, we show that in brains devoid of FKBP51, tau levels are reduced. Recombinant FKBP51 and Hsp90 synergize to block tau clearance through the proteasome and produce T22-positive tau oligomers. Overexpression of FKBP51 in a tau transgenic mouse model revealed that FKBP51 preserved tau species, including phosphorylated and oligomeric tau that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. FKBP51 blocked amyloid formation and decreased tangle load in the brain. These alterations in tau turnover and aggregate structure culminated in enhanced neurotoxicity. We propose a model where age-associated increases in FKBP51 levels can out-compete the association of other pro-degradation Hsp90 co-chaperones, resulting in neurotoxic tau accumulation. Thus, strategies aimed at attenuating FKBP51 levels or its interaction with Hsp90 could be therapeutically relevant for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. These AD cases were processed simultaneously with the control cases (young and aged) included in GSE11882 Postmortem brain tissue was collected from ADRC brain banks. Cases were preferentially selected where 3 or more brain regions were available
Project description:Ion channel splice array data from cerebellum brain tissue samples collected from Alzheimer's disease patients. Temporal cortex (Alzheimer's disease affected brain tissue structure) and cerebellum (Alzheimer's disease unaffected brain tissue structure) samples from control subjects were compared to temporal cortex and cerebellum of patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Project description:Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by progressive memory dysfunction, oxidative stress, and presence of senile plaques formed by amyloid beta (A ? ) accumulation in the brain. AD is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. AD has a variety of risk factors, including environmental factors, metabolic dysfunction, and genetic background. Recent research has highlighted the relationship between AD and systemic metabolic changes such as glucose and lipid imbalance and insulin resistance. Irisin, a myokine closely linked to exercise, has been associated with glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and fat browning. Recent studies have suggested that irisin is involved in the process in central nervous system (CNS) such as neurogenesis and has reported the effects of irisin on AD as one of the neurodegenerative disease. Here, we review the roles of irisin with respect to AD and suggest that irisin highlight therapeutic important roles in AD. Thus, we propose that irisin could be a potential future target for ameliorating AD pathology and preventing AD onset.